The potential path would connect Cold Spring and Garrison and the important neighborhood amenities in between.
What is the purpose of the path?
The proposed path is in direct response to the Philipstown Community Congress of 2017 at which local residents voted biking and walking paths as their top priority.
More recently, in January 2023, the Phillipstown Trails Committee (PTC) completed the 9D Pedestrian Safety Survey, a survey of parents of local school children. The survey results shown here revealed a vast majority welcomed a way of getting to and from school by walking or biking. The PTC plans further community outreach to help understand the demand for walkability and bikeability in Philipstown.
Presently the main way that Philipstown residents get from Cold Spring to Garrison is by car. With almost no sidewalks nor bicycle lanes, 9D is dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists, discouraging them from using it. Pedestrians and cyclists that do use it also pose a danger to motorists by making collisions more likely.
How did the idea of a path first come about?
The results of the Philipstown Community Congress prompted the PTC to apply for and duly obtain a technical assistance grant from the National Park Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program.
With this technical assistance, the PTC was able to work on increasing community interest in a multi-use path, meeting with a variety of stakeholders and local experts, conducting research, and exploring possible routes.
What is the current status of the path?
In 2021, the PTC partnered with the Town of Philipstown and secured the Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant of $37,100 for a feasibility study for the Philipstown Path. The PTC worked with Weston & Sampson to conduct research and determine the most feasible and desirable option. On May 4, 2023 the PTC presented the final feasibility study to the Town of Philipstown Board Meeting. See the meeting agenda here and video recording here (25:00-30:20). In the coming months the PTC will seek grant funding to finance the design of the first phase of the proposed path connecting the Village of Cold Spring to Boscobel House and Gardens.
How will the local community benefit from the path?
The vision for the path is to create a route that gets people to the neighborhood connections they need to get to, by foot and without a vehicle. The hope is that we will be able to promote healthy living, pedestrian safety, and a greater sense of community by encouraging residents and visitors to walk or bike to a significant number of cultural, heritage, recreational sites and local points.
The path will also encourage more healthy living and reduce reliance on motorized transit. This will help the Town of Philipstown improve public health and cut its carbon footprint.
What neighborhood attractions and amenities is the path aiming to connect?
The attractions and amenities the path aims to connect include Boscobel House and Gardens (with the seasonal Cold Spring Farmers’ Market), the Constitution Marsh Audubon Center, the Philipstown Park and Philipstown Recreation Center, Manitou School and Garrison Union Free School, Haldane School District, the Desmond-Fish Public Library, and the West Point Foundry Preserve.
The potential path might also connect with other area parks in the Hudson Highlands as shown on the Resources page.
What are the next steps?
As part of developing the feasibility study, the committee plans on conducting community outreach and stakeholder engagement in Fall of 2022 and Winter 2023. The feasibility study is almost complete and the initial findings, together with the PTC’s tentative proposals, will be discussed with local residents at community meetings (see the Information page for more details).
The PTC is committed to work with the Town of Philipstown and fellow residents to make the proposed path a reality through fundraising, resident engagement, and a plan for path development & maintenance.